Apparatus and process for cementing wells



y 1932 J. A.'HARDCASTLE APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR CEMENTING WELLS FiledJuly 1, 1929 Patented May It), 1932 PATE NT OFFICE JASPER A. HARDCASTLE,OF DAMON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, OFONE-FOURTH TO JESSE H. HARDCAS'ILE, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND

ONE-FOURTH TO B. L. WAXLER APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR CEMENTING WELLSApplication filed July 1, 1929. Serial No. 375,040.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus andprocess for cementing wells.

One object of the invention is to provide e an apparatus for applyingplastic cementitious material about the lower end of a casing set in awell bore and the invention also comprehends the process whereby saidmaterialis applied.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby .a load ofplastic cementitious material, uncontaminated by water or slush, may belowered into a well and delivered out around the lower end of a cas- Ming set in said Well to set and form a seal around said lower end ofsaid casing.

In well drilling it is customary to set a casing in the well bore justbefore the bore is drilled into pay sand, and after the casing 29 hasbeen set it is quite common to form a seal around the lower end of thecasing to prevent water from above from reaching the oil bearing strata.This seal is formed by forcing cementitious, material in plastic statedown through the lower end of the casing, which material is thenpermitted to set to form said seal and the well is then drilled deeperinto the pay sand in the usual way.

It is the prime object of this invention to w provide apparatus of thecharacter described by means of which the plastic cement may be lowereddown through the casing and discharged out around the lower end thereofat the place it is desired to form the seal and without said materialbecoming diluted or mixed with slush or water, and the inventioncomprehends a novel method of lowering said material and discharging itaround the lower end of the casing at the place desired.

With the above and other objects in View lower end of the casing and inposition to set to formthe desired seal.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals ofreference designate similar parts in each of the figures the numeral 1refers to a well casing set in a well bore and the numeral 2 designatesa set shoe at the lower end thereof having the discharge opening 3. Thenumeral 4 designates the-lower plunger which is spool shaped in generalcontour and which has the end packing rings 5, 5, therearound. Thesepacking rings are formed of rubber or other yieldable material and areof a size to fit tightly in the casing. This plunger has an axial bore 6extending therethrough from.

end to end. Resting upon the upper end of the plunger and closing saidbore there is a valve and depending from said valve through said borethere is a valve stem 8 which extends beneath the plunger and whoselower end carries the spider 9.

The upper plunger 10 is similar in contour to the lower plunger 4 andhas the upper and lower end packing ring 11, 11 therearound formed ofrubber or other yieldable material which fit tightly in said casing.This upper plunger is solid. 1 I

In use the lower plunger is first inserted into the upper end of thecasing and the load of plastic material to be lowered is then pouredinto said casing and is supported by said lower plunger. The upperplunger is then inserted in the casing above said load and the. upperend of the casing is closed and fluid under pressure is then forced intothe casing above the upper plunger through the pressure line 12 and saidplungers with the load of plastic material betweenthem are thus forceddownwardly to lower end of the casing. When the-spider 9 is seatedagainst the lower end of the set shoe 2 the downthat in the form shownin Figure 3 the up- 1 per end of the bore 6 is flared forming a seat 13and the valve 7' is formed to fit in 1n the casing between sa1dplungers, the lower said seat.

After the cementitious material has set the drilling tools are loweredthrough the cas ng and the plungers and the lower end of the set shoe aswell as the cement set beneath the casing are drilled out and the wellis deepened into the pay sand.

Due to the fact that the cementing apparatus has to be drilled out it isconstructed, in the main, of wood or cement, or material that can bereadily broken up and disposed of by the tool.

' The specification and drawings disclose a preferred embodiment of theinvention by way of illustration, while'the broad pr1nc1ple of theinventiori will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim 'is:

1. The combination with a casing in a well bore, of an upper plunger anda lower plunger fitted in the casing and spaced apart to receive a loadof plastic cementitious material between them, said lower plunger havinga vertical passageway therethrough, a valve normally closing saidpassageway, and means for opening the valve at the lower end of thecasing to permit the discharge of said load through said passageway. 2.The combination with a caslng in a. well bore, a spaced plungers in saidcaslng forming a trap between them for plastlc cementitious material,the lower of said.

plungers having a passageway therethrough through which the trappedmaterial may be discharged beneath the lowerplunger, a valve normallyclosing said passageway, a stop at the lower end of the casing, meansengageable with said stop and effective to open said valve. 3. Thecombination with a casing in a well bore, of a pair of plunger in thecasing spaced apart, plastic cementitious material in the casing betweensaid plungers, the lower of said plungers having a passageway throughwhich said material may pass beneath the lower plunger, a valve closingsaid passageway, a valve stem attached to said valve and whose lower enddepends beneath said lower plunger. v

4. The combination with a casing in a well bore, of a pair of plungersin the casing spaced apart, plastic cementitious material in the casingbetween said plungers, the lower of said plungers having a passagewaythrough which said material ma ass beneaththe lower plunger, a valve 0osmg said passageway, a valve stem attached to said valve and whoselower end depends beneath said lower plunger, and a stop at the lowerend of the casing against which said stem is adapted to engage to liftthe valve and open said passageway.

5. The combination with a casing in a well bore, of a pair of plungersin the casin spaced apart, plastic cementitous materia of said plungershaving a passageway through which said material ma pass beneath thelower plunger, a valvec osingsaid passageway, a valve stem attached tosaid valve and whose lower end depends beneath said lower plunger, andmeans for introducing fluid under pressure into the casing above theupper plunger.

6. The combination with a casing set in a well bore and whose lower endis provided with an outlet, of means for confining a load of plasticcementitious material in the. casing, means for introducing fluid underpressure into the casing above said confiningmeans to force saidconfining means and the confined load downwardly through the casing, anupwardly opening valve for opening said confining means at the lower endof the casing to permit the discharge of said load downwardly throughsaid outlet.

- 7. The combination with a casing set in a well bore, of an upper andlower means in the casing spaced apart to provide-a space between themfor the reception of a load of plastic cementitious material, said lowermeans having a passageway for the outlet of said material beneath thelower means, said lower means including a valve and having a valve seat,with which the valve cooperates and also having a passageway controlledby the valve,said means, and the load between them being movabledownwardly through the casing as a unit, means adjacent the lowerend ofthe casing for lifting said valve from its seat to permit such dischargeof said load.

8. The combination with a casing set in a well bore, of an upper plungerand a lower plunger in the casing spaced apart to provide a spacebetween them for the reception of a load of plastic cementitiousmaterial, said lower plunger having a passageway for the outlet ofsaidmaterial beneath thelower plunger, a valve controlling thepassageway, said plungers and the load between them being movabledownwardly through the casing-as a unit, means for opening said valveadjacent the lower end of the casing to permit such discharge of saidload, means for stopping the downward movement of the lower plungerafter said valve is opened to effect such discharge by the further down-Ward movement of the upper plunger.

to limit downward movement of separators.

In testimony whereof I have signed my r 9. A bottom separator forcementing wells, includinga body member, packing means on said member,there being a passage from one end to the other of said member, a valvecontrolling said passage, and means on said valve for opening said valvewhen a barrier is reached.

10. A bottom garator for cementing wells, includin g a I I member,packing means onsaid member, t ere being a' passage from one end to theother of said member, a valve controlling said passage, and means onsaid valve responsive to hydraulic pressure thereon for opening saidvalve when a barrier is reached.

11. A bottom separator comprising a tubular plug having a passagelongitudinally thereof, packing members adapted to be forced into thewell ahead of a charge of cement and on-said lug normally engaging thewell casing, a va ve controlling said passage, a stem on said valve insaid passage, and means on said stem to limit the opening movement ofsaid valve, said stem projecting through said plug to assist in openingsaid valve.

12. In an apparatus for cementing wells, a. casing, a pair of freelymovable plugs adapted for placement above and below-a charge of cement,a valve in the lowermost plug, a barrier carried by said casing adjacentthe point to be cemented and arran ed to release said valve whereby thecharge 0 cement may be discharged through said lowermost plug.

13. An apparatus to charge cement into wells including a casing, it anof independentlyv movable separators a apted for Insertion into saidcasing above and below a charge of cement, a valve in the lowermostseparator, a valve actuating means supported in said casing whereby thecharge of cement is released, said valve actuating means being ada tagname to'this s cification. JA PER A. HARDCASTLE.

